We know how important sleep is for human health, but we often ignore it in our decisions. For example, we all know from the very beginning that if we go to bed one night and cannot sleep, we will be tired and grumpy the next day. Because not getting enough sleep affects our bodies much more than we think, and it's certainly not limited to moodiness.
What is Sleep Deprivation?
In summary, this concept, called sleep deprivation, is caused by a constant lack of sleep or poor sleep quality. Regularly getting less than seven hours of sleep can eventually have health consequences that affect your entire body. This condition can also be caused by an underlying sleep disorder. Just as your body needs breathing and food to function optimally and stay strong, it also needs sleep. During sleep, your system strengthens itself and regulates its chemical balance. Your brain makes new thought connections and helps preserve memory. Unfortunately, without adequate sleep, your brain and body systems will not function normally. In addition, sleep deprivation can significantly reduce your quality of life. Studies have revealed that people who cannot sleep at night continuously die at an earlier age. Considering all this, it can be said that sleep deprivation is a really big health problem.
Symptoms of sleep deprivation include excessive sleepiness, constant yawning, irritability, irritability, and extreme tiredness. When you feel these symptoms, it will not be helpful to take caffeine and make your body resist. Stimulants such as caffeine are not suitable for keeping your body sober and replacing the need for sleep. In fact, these stimulants can make sleep deprivation worse by making it harder to fall asleep at night. Ultimately, chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with your body's internal systems and cause much more than the first signs and symptoms.
What are the Harms of Sleep Deprivation?
Damages to the Central Nervous System
Your central nervous system has been described as your body's main information highway. Regular sleep is essential to keep this system working properly. But chronic insomnia disrupts the way your body usually sends and processes information. During sleep, pathways are formed between nerve cells, or neurons, in your brain that help you remember new information you have learned. Sleep deprivation tires your brain and therefore your central nervous system cannot do its job. You may also find it much more difficult to concentrate or learn new things. The signals your body sends can be delayed, which reduces your coordination and increases your risk of accidents.
Damages to the Immune System
While you sleep, your immune system produces antibodies and similar protective, infection-fighting substances. Your system then uses these substances to fight foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. Others also help you sleep, giving your immune system more power to defend your body against disease. But sleep deprivation prevents your immune system from creating this vigorous cycle. If you don't get enough sleep, your body may not be able to fend off invaders, and it may also take longer than usual for you to recover from illness. Long-term sleep deprivation also increases your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Harms to the Respiratory System
Although not much is known, there is a two-way relationship between sleep and the respiratory system. A nighttime breathing disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can interrupt your sleep and reduce your sleep quality.
When you wake up during the night, this can cause sleep deprivation, which leaves you more vulnerable to respiratory infections like colds and flu. What's more, sleep deprivation can make existing respiratory diseases such as chronic lung disease worse.
Damages to the Digestive System
You've probably heard of the link between sleep and weight gain before. Likewise, your sleep patterns affect your digestive system. In addition to eating too much and not exercising, sleep deprivation is another risk factor for being overweight and obese. Sleep directly affects the levels of leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that control feelings of hunger and fullness.
Leptin tells your brain you've had enough to eat. Without enough sleep, your brain doesn't think you've eaten enough and raises your appetite, ghrelin. The influx of these hormones may explain nighttime snacking or why someone wants to overeat later in the night. Also, not getting enough sleep can make you feel too tired to exercise. Not being able to exercise naturally causes weight gain and muscle loss. What's more, sleep deprivation also affects your body's insulin levels. Your body's glucose tolerance drops and problems with insulin resistance begin. At the end of this process, health problems such as diabetes and obesity may occur.
Damages to the Cardiovascular System
Sleep affects the processes that keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, including those that affect your blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation levels. It even plays a vital role in your body's ability to heal and repair blood vessels and the heart. People who don't get enough sleep are more likely to develop a cardiovascular disease. One analysis has linked insomnia to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In other words, the importance of sleep for your heart health is undeniable.
How to Prevent Sleep Deprivation?
The best way to prevent sleep deprivation is actually to make sure you're getting enough sleep. Experts talk about the importance of getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep for most adults ages 18 to 64. It is possible to overcome the problem of insomnia by making small changes in your life and routine. To prevent sleep deprivation, you can consider these suggestions:
- Do not take a nap during the day or if you are very tired, keep this sleep time to a minimum as much as possible.
- Be sure to stop drinking caffeine after midnight, especially two hours before you go to sleep.
- Try to establish a sleep schedule for yourself and go to bed at that time every day if possible.
- Likewise, try to wake up at the same time every morning.
- If your sleep pattern is disrupted when you go on vacation or on weekends and it is difficult to return to normal later, then try to apply your sleep routine on these special days as well.
- Try not to spend a long time with your mobile phone before going to sleep.
If you are having trouble establishing such a sleep pattern and preventing sleep deprivation, be sure to consult a doctor.
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